I was born and raised in Goa. My photographic interests lie in landscapes, people, portraiture, culture, architecture and photojournalism. Geographical areas of focus are Goa, Iceland, and the Death Valley region of California.

I have photographed extensively in my homeland Goa, recording its land, culture and people, elements that express its sui generis ethos. I have documented the destruction of Goa's environment and its slide into the ugliness and urban chaos that characterize today's India.

Over the past decade, I have traveled all over Iceland, to most of its remote areas, in an ongoing in-depth exploration.

Declaration:
I strive to create images that comport with my sensibilities and idea of beauty. My photograph is an interpretation, not a faithful documentation of “reality." The exception is when I am working on a photojournalism project. I like to think of my images as "reality" refracted through my personal aesthetic prism.

As a general principle, I do not insert objects that were not already present in the frame when I took the shot. However, I allow myself the license to erase objects that violate my sense of compositional balance or beauty. My artistic impulse is expressed well in the words of the great mathematician Hermann Weyl:

"My work always tried to unite the true with the beautiful; but when I had to choose one or the other, I usually chose the beautiful."

Photo credit: Sanjeev Trivedi

Flateyri

April 14, 2012

The tiny village of Flateyri in Önundarfjörður in the Westfjords of Iceland is surrounded by spectacular scenery. However, dangers lurk in this idyllic setting. On October 25, 1995, a deadly avalanche rolled over the settlement burying homes and killing 20. (The population of the village is only ~200.)

The panorama below was taken around 1:15 am. The quality of light was not to my satisfaction and there was howling wind to contend with. The camera was mounted on a pano rig made by Really Right Stuff.

Notice the ‘deflecting wall’ in the foreground (around 1/3 of the way in), erected after the fatal avalanche. Click on the photo to fire up a larger view.